Winnipeg airport expanding the amount of cargo it can process with new facility

Winnipeg’s Richardson International Airport is expanding the amount of cargo it can process, with $19.4 million from Transport Canada.

The airport said the funds came to the Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA) through the National Trade Corridors Fund to help redevelop the cargo corner of its campus. It said this will include the construction of a new Multi-Tenant Air Cargo Logistics Facility.

The WAA said the 142,500-square-foot Multi-Tenant Air Cargo Logistics Facility will help the airport boost efficiency by getting freight partners closer to planes with an apron, and by supporting quick distribution and resupply of time-sensitive goods. It will also have more space for cold storage, air cargo and aircraft.

Federal minister of northern affairs, Dan Vandal, said, “This new facility will mean air resupply out of Winnipeg will become a heck of a lot more efficient and more affordable, and goods will become available in places where that was not always the case,” like northern and remote communities.

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He added that after the pandemic, labour shortages and structural factors contributed to supply chain bottlenecks and backorders, but that a project like this will help get the country back on track.

“Airports are critical hubs in (the supply) chain, especially in a country as big as Canada. They keep people and goods moving safely, securely, and efficiently,” Vandal said, adding that “Winnipeg is an important northern hub.”

He said more than 110 jobs will be created form the addition of the facility.

Nick Hays, President and CEO of WAA, said, “While this redevelopment takes up a relatively small piece of land, the benefits it will provide for the prosperity of our community will be huge,” adding, “air freight operators work around the clock, helping local companies to quickly move their product around the world, keeping communities connected, and acting as a key enabler for jobs and for the economy.”

Air fright represents 35 per cent of world trade by value, he said.

Construction the facility will start in April.

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